Stargate: Return of the Ancients, Season 2, Ep 1
by Aer-ki Jyr
Summary: Episode, "Deja Vu" part 3
1. Chapter 1

With a firm grip on her neck, the Goa'uld dragged Vala's naked body down the corridor and into a nearby elevator. She struggled against his iron hold while trying to keep her balance as the man hurriedly walked her into the concealed booth. When the doors slid shut he pinned her against the wall with one hand on her neck and used the other to punch the level 19 button.

"Where…are… you…taking…me?" Vala struggled to ask.

"Be silent if you want to remain conscious," the man said, his voice once again Human, but lacking the Chinese accent. He applied additional pressure to her trachea to reinforce the point and Vala had little choice but to comply as the elevator slowly rose upward.

With the little oxygen getting to her brain, Vala still had enough wherewithal to mentally curse the Goa'uld for pressing her bare butt up against the _cold_ metal wall as well as come to the conclusion that she was in real trouble this time. If the Goa'uld had a hand in the problems on Earth, then her recognizing the infiltrator for who he was meant that she had to die, else their secret would get out…assuming there was more than one of them.

As she pondered that thought the elevator finally arrived at its destination and the Chinese man dragged her into another long hallway…this one with four guards stationed nearby.

"_Take her_," he ordered them in the bizarre Tauri language.

The four men cautiously stepped forward and grabbed both her arms as she finally gave up struggling, happy just to be able to breathe freely. They pulled her into a large room on the left and strapped her down onto what Vala recognized as an interrogation table.

"_Make sure they're tight_," the Chinese/Goa'uld ordered. "_She's a slippery one_."

"Ow!" Vala protested as they cut off part of the circulation in her right wrist, then moved onto her left before tying down her legs and finishing with an abdominal clamp.

When the guards finished, one of them tested the bonds and nodded to confirm their quality.

"_Alert medical to see to the two idiots in her cell_," he ordered, signaling for them to leave. "_And tell them they're removed from active duty until I determine an adequate punishment_."

"_Yes, sir_," the highest ranking guard said, bowing his head as he stepped by his superior. He turned about after the others had exited and shut the door on his way out.

"So what now?" Vala asked. "You going to pump me for information?" she said tongue in cheek.

"_Who were you host to?_" he asked without preamble, his voice once against tinged with the Goa'uld ambiance.

Vala laid her head back down on the table and looked at the ceiling. "Do you really need to know?"

He raised an eyebrow and began to pace slowly around the table on which Vala was restrained. "_I suppose it's trivial information at that, but one does not easily escape the grasp of their master. Do you have the Tok'ra to thank, or the perhaps the Asgard?_"

"The Tok'ra, if you must know," Vala offered.

The Goa'uld nodded slowly. "_I was aware that your companion was once blended with a Tok'ra, and had taken precautions to avoid any interaction…but I was not informed that you also possessed the latent detection ability_."

"Well don't feel too badly," Vala responded pithily, "peons aren't supposed to know everything."

"_It's an oversight that shouldn't have been made_," he said, ignoring both her insult and her pathetic ploy to gather information as to their numbers, "_and it puts me in an awkward position_."

"Sorry to be an inconvenience."

"_Oh, I'm afraid it's more serious than that, my dear_," he said, running a finger down the length of her right leg. "_I can't let you return to the Tauri as I'd planned_."

"Planned?" Vala asked, a bit surprised.

"_Your team is a valued asset of ours, one which we are hesitant to waste…though present events seem to have made the decision for us_."

"What are you waiting for then? Or do you plan to have some fun with me first?"

"_I suppose it's not a total loss. Teal'c will still survive, wherever he is, though his allegiance to the Tauri may waver if SG-1 is killed. Where is he, by the way?_"

"You tell me," Vala countered, covering her surprise. She'd assumed he'd been captured too. "If we're really working for you, then you must know what mission Teal'c was sent on…or are you over exaggerating your level of influence on Earth?" she said, tilting her head to the side to glare at him.

"_We're kept well informed, as you would suspect, but given the remote location of this facility I'm not always kept in the loop with regards to the most recent intel_."

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Vala asked loudly, switching her tone from scorn to curious. "I know you're trying to set up a Chinese Empire, but what does it gain you? The United States is clearly the power broker in the whole international arrangement."

"_And they have the most effective anti-symbiot detection systems_," he countered. "_The Chinese, however, are not so diligent_."

"The proverbial weak link," Vala said, exasperated.

"_Them and others…_" the Goa'uld commented, beginning to boast a little. "_Any direct takeover, however, would still be discovered and is therefore out of the question. Our predecessors failed to realize that all species must, at some point, adapt in order to survive…the Goa'uld are not exempt from this fact. Those that refused to change were killed either in the Jaffa revolt or later by the Tok'ra hunters_," he said with ample disgust. "_The rest of us have learned to take a…lesser approach to dealing with the Tauri_."

"Backroom manipulation…," Vala said, understanding.

The Goa'uld shook his head. "_Not even that. The Tauri have proven to be of a similar disposition to ourselves on the whole…though exceedingly amateuristic to say the least. Their deviousness is to be admired in that it makes manipulating them all the easier. We needn't make radical changes to their planet, only a few carefully placed minor corrections here and there as the need arises_. _For the time being we can sit back, relax, and let your planet take all the risks_."

"How convenient for you," Vala said, her stomach lurching as she realized how right he was. There were good people on Earth, she wouldn't have allied with them if there weren't…unless they had something valuable to steal…but a lot of the sniveling, suit-wearing cowards that ran the governments of Earth's nations did in fact mirror the Goa'uld, though in a slightly less intimidating fashion.

In particular the I.O.A. matched up eerily well. They gave orders and sat back in safety as they watched others carry them out, often with disastrous results. The whole mission to the Ori galaxy and the replicator debacle rose to mind easy enough.

They also blamed others for their own failure, often preying on those who did the dirty work in a sacrificial offering to save their own asses. Earth's nations were also constantly bickering and sometimes even fighting each other, much as the Goa'uld had before the Jaffa rebellion and the recent incident with the Ark of Truth had "Goa'uld" written all over it.

The more Vala thought through her short history on Earth the more she regrettably agreed with the snakehead.

"So what's the end goal?" she asked. "Galactic domination all over again? Same old, same old?"

"_Not quite_," the Goa'uld said as he paced around the table where she was restrained. "_But we're getting ahead of ourselves…the question at the moment is what to do with you, my dear_."

"I vote for letting me go," Vala said sarcastically.

"_Democracy is so pathetic_," the Goa'uld said, stopping his walk near the door. "_However, sometimes it is necessary to…consult with others_."

He opened the latch on the heavy metal door but refrained from pulling it open. He turned back to look at Vala. "_Now, be a good girl and stay put while I'm gone. I promise I won't be long_," he said with a wry smile before opening the door and stepping out. He said a few words in Chinese to the guards and the door closed with a clank, leaving Vala alone, restrained, and nude in the interrogation room.

"Ok…now how am I going to get my sorry ass out of this one," she said aloud as she considered her options.

* * *

Jack walked out of the event horizon into a small clearing of dirt surrounded by woods. A pile of melted stone stood several meters out from the gate, but nothing else was visible save for trees, trees, and more trees.

"Ok," O'Neill said as the stargate shut down behind him as his boots dug into the soft, dark dirt, "smart money says to dial another address so they can't follow…but that's what they'll expect me to do. They send some four-eyes to dig through the DHD and find the planet I gated to…so I need to gate out again three, four, maybe five times to lose my trail for good."

Jack cringed. He wasn't actually sure how well they could track him, nor how many times it would take before he truly lost them.

"Or…I can lay low here and see if anyone comes after me. They'll think I was smart and gated somewhere else," he said with a nod. "Sounds like a plan," he said, clapping and rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Time for a nap."

Jack looked around and picked a direction. He walked into the forest and found sufficient cover to shield himself from view of the stargate but not so far as to not be able to hear an incoming wormhole. He spied a thick, toppled tree trunk and climbed over to the opposite side.

"This will do," he said, sitting down and unpacking some of his supplies. He didn't know how long he'd be here, or out here in general, so he'd packed away as many foodstuffs as he could fit into his backpack. One thing was sure…he couldn't go back to Earth for supplies anytime soon, and frankly he didn't know if he'd even want to if things changed back home. Of all the times he and SG-1 had saved their assess…

_SG-1_.

He didn't know where they were or how to find them and felt a pang of guilt for not being able to let them know what was going on…or even to say goodbye. Daniel, he knew, was on Atlantis. Maybe he'd find his way there eventually, but for right now he just needed to rest and clear his head. The stress and confusion that he'd endured ever since being promoted to General felt like a railroad spike had been pounded into his skull…and now it was painfully starting to pull free.

He wondered where he'd gone wrong. Maybe he never should have accepted promotion, but then again they'd have probably ended up with some scrub replacing Hammond and Jack would have had to go into retirement just to stay sane…either that or end up court-martialed. No, he had to take the job…but did it really have to end up like this?

"That's the last '_yes, sir'_ they'll be getting out of me," Jack mumbled as he laid down next to the log, resting his head on his pack. Within a couple of minutes he was out cold, getting a long overdue rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack woke with a start. The sounds of activating chevrons on the stargate stood out amongst the subtle din of forest sounds. The calm air made the sound stand out even more, loud and clear enough to wake Jack from his hazy nap. His mind caught up with reality just before the gate activated and he heard the kawoosh as he blinked his eyes open. He swiped a thread of drool out of the corner of his mouth and stared at it for a moment as he got his bearings, then wiped it off on his pant leg.

He sat up behind the log and twisted a stiff neck in the direction of the sound…

Suddenly he was fully awake as he saw the gate suspended _horizontal_ in the air above a mechanical arm stretching up from the ground.

"Where the hell did you send me, Walter?" Jack mumbled as he pulled on his pack and fingered his P-90.

A few seconds later a faint rumble/whine drifted over the treetops from what Jack guessed was the west, based on the direction of the planet's sun. It grew in volume until a rectangular ship appeared over the gap in the forest surrounding the gate.

It took up position over the event horizon and opened a concealed bay on the underside of the ship. A moment later a long, thick stream of grain poured out into the puddle, emptying the hold of the Aschen harvester.

"Oh, crap," Jack said aloud as he looked around the area to make sure he was alone. "I gotta get out of here."

The grain falling from the harvester shown a golden brown in the heavy sunlight, but Jack saw blue highlights intermittently and frowned.

_Blue corn?_

As the last bits fell through the stargate, Jack noticed the same blue highlights reflecting off the ship…coming somewhere from above. He couldn't see anything above him, save for tree leaves, but the pattern of flashing resembled weapons fire.

_Was someone fighting the Aschen?_ he wondered.

The stargate deactivated as the harvester drifted off back to whatever field it had come from and the giant mechanical arm pulled the ring back into its usual standing position. The arm disappeared somewhere beneath the gate and all appeared as it had been before. The DHD was beside the gate and easily accessible.

_Wait_, Jack cautioned himself. He needed to let the harvester get farther away…and he needed to find another address to dial.

Jack slipped his pack off and dug out the full list of stargate addresses that Walter had given him.

"Let's see what we've got here," he said as he scanned through the alphanumerical numbering system. Fortunately there was another column off to the right side of the list with the formal planet names and/or descriptions.

"Ah," he said, spying an old address, "haven't seen her in a while. Couldn't hurt to stop in for a visit, share some laughs, get a fresh cooked meal…and figure out what the hell I'm going to do with myself."

Jack folded the paper back so his designated address and a few others were the only ones showing. He palmed the paper in his left hand while his right feathered the trigger of his weapon. He didn't think anyone was around, but he was feeling jittery, and if that really was weapons fire…

Jack got up from cover and made it three steps past the log when a large sonic boom shook him to the bone. He glanced up out of reflex but still couldn't see through the forest canopy. He glanced around the perimeter quickly, then jogged out into the clearing around the gate and looked up.

Hundreds of small dots smothered the sky around four large ships of some sort. They all looked black against the pale blue sky, but he could have swore he saw a blue bolt pass between two of them.

Silently one of the large black dots exploded into a debris cloud. A few long seconds later and a loud bang shook the forest for a second time.

"That's some firepower," Jack said in awe, squinting to see better.

He stood transfixed for several minutes, watching the battle overhead. Despite the danger of the situation, Jack wanted to see what happened. The Aschen had nearly destroyed every living thing on Earth…and it looked like someone was kicking their ass.

When there was only one large ship remaining the swarm of small dots began to thin. Whoever this was, was mopping up the little guys before they did whatever it was they were here to do.

Jack figured it was his time to leave.

He walked casually over to the DHD and began to dial the address he held in his palm. He got through half the symbols before a large shadow covered the clearing. The light source reappeared immediately as the remaining ship passed between O'Neill and the sun.

Jack paused and looked up. The black blot was getting bigger, which meant it was coming closer to the surface…but not quite towards him. Never the less, it was beginning to take shape. After a long minute the hammerhead silhouette disappeared beneath the horizon off to the west.

"No way," Jack said breathlessly.

* * *

"Colonel Mitchell," a voice echoed through Cam's cell.

"Teal'c?" Cam asked, setting up on the floor. He didn't see anyone.

"I am here," the Jaffa's voice said from outside the cell bars.

"Am I glad to see…hear you," Cam said, jumping to his feet. "Don't suppose you have the key?"

"I have my staff weapon, but firing it will alert the guards further down the hall. I have spotted at least three on this level."

"How did you get away?" Cam asked, grabbing the bars to lean on.

"I was rendered unconscious with the rest of you…but I remained cloaked. I was fortunate they did not discover me."

"Or trip over you," Cam added. "So…what's the plan," he whispered.

"I can free you," Teal'c offered, "but I have yet to locate the others. This facility appears to be quite large with many levels. I have searched five. You are the first I have found."

"I haven't seen or heard from anyone since I passed out," Cam told the invisible Jaffa. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"None."

"Alright...," Cam said reluctantly. "Leave me here and find the others."

"I will return as quickly as possible, Colonel Mitchell."

"And be careful. If you get caught we're screwed."

Nobody answered him. Apparently Teal'c had already left.

"Wastes no time," Cam said to himself, approving. "Typical Teal'c."

* * *

The Goa'uld left the interrogation chamber and traveled down to the bottom of the elevator shaft and exited on level 56, buried deep within the planet's bedrock. He walked down a short, empty hallway and opened a door onto a maintenance catwalk that spanned a large, pipe-filled room that accommodated the facility's sewage and water recycling systems, geothermal power tap, and air conditioning system.

The door swung shut with a click and left him alone in the monstrous level. No one ever came down here except when something malfunctioned…and with the modifications the Goa'uld had surreptitiously made to the design blueprints such malfunctions were few and far between, making it a suitable place to hide the entrance to the secret chamber.

The Goa'uld entered a code into a simple numerical keypad on the access panel of one of the power transfer control boxes and received an error tone for an incorrect sequence.

On the opposite wall a bare section of concrete slid out and aside, revealing a narrow passage which the Goa'uld quickly entered, tapping an interior 'close' button as he passed through. The thick panel retracted and resealed with the seam all but disappearing into the white concrete grain pattern.

A few steps later and the passage opened into a high, octagonal room. On the left was a staircase rising up around the circumference to a pair of higher levels with offshoots into the bedrock. On the bottom floor was a Goa'uld-style control console set below a large display screen.

The Goa'uld walked across to the platform and placed his hand into the glowing niche. He felt the rudimentary mental link establish and called up the recent status reports from offworld.

"Hmmn," he mumbled as he read through the report on the relocation of the Tauri stargate. "_That went smoother than I expected…though they managed to alienate O'Neill in the process. Sloppy_," he said disapprovingly.

O'Neill's influence with Bra'tac and his Ancient-enhanced Jaffa was a key element in their efforts to escape retribution for current and future actions, ostensibly on the part of Earth's natural inhabitants. Losing him would mean they'd have to tread more carefully, lest they risk a reprisal. Moreover, if O'Neill relayed information of the events on Earth to Bra'tac personally, then they could be looking at a Jaffa invasion to restore order to the planet, which would set back their efforts considerably.

"_Never give a Human a task that requires intelligence_," he grumbled.

Still, if somehow they were able to lay low and avoid immediate retribution then the relocation of the stargate to _their_ facility in Egypt would be a significant boon to their efforts to set up a Tauri empire across the worlds that were once held by the Goa'uld. If they were very lucky, then this blunder could work to their advantage.

The Goa'uld rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. If the new SGC had gone online, then SG-1's value had to be reevaluated. It was questionable whether or not they would cooperate, retire, or act as a burr against their efforts. Perhaps it would be better if they just disappeared anonymously…

With a few select thoughts the Goa'uld activated the long range communication system. A large globe rose up from the floor on his left and he turned to face it. A few moments delay followed before a woman's face and torso appeared.

"_Yes?_" she asked passively. Her voice resonated in typical Goa'uld fashion.

"_SG-1 managed to track down the Chinese facility. They were captured upon entry, unharmed, but the dark-haired female identified me. No one told me she was a former Host_."

The female Goa'uld frowned angrily. "_You know we cannot allow even the slightest breach_," she admonished him. "_Kill them immediately_."

"_I have them isolated from each other_," he told her. "_Only the dark-haired one knows. Do we really want to squander the entire team if not necessary?_"

"_They are obsolete_," she said with finality. "_Now that we control the Chappa'ai, we need to remove the dissentious elements and replace them with the ignorant…you know the method_."

"_I do, but I would caution against wasting valuable resources. Their personal ties to Bra'tac may be of use as a shield against retaliation. Not to mention this new Ancient if he truly originated from Earth_."

"_You overestimate their worth. Their absence is far more valuable to future operations. Dispose of them at once_."

The male Goa'uld bowed his head. "_Yes, my queen_."

The transmission cut off from the other end and the sphere retracted back into the floor.

The Goa'uld stood there for a long time afterwards, thinking.


	3. Chapter 3

A thought shook Jack out of his reverie and he fingered the radio attached to his vest.

"This is General Jack O'Neill of Earth calling the Asgard ship above the planet. Please respond…"

He looked around as he waited for a reply, noticing his half finished address on the dialing device. He punched in the last few symbols but refrained from touching the activation sphere.

"Repeating…this is Jack O'Neill, personal friend of Supreme Commander Thor, calling the Asgard ship that just butt-checked the Aschen fleet. I would really like to talk to you guys if you can spare a minute…"

Jack let go of the transmit button and waited. It was possible they were already out of range and that the only ones hearing him were in the nearby harvester. He didn't like making himself a sitting duck, and was ready to jump through the gate on a moment's notice…well, two moments or he'd be vaporized by the kawoosh…but the reappearance of the Asgard was HUGE news and worth the danger, in O'Neill's opinion. The Asgard were supposed to have all died in another galaxy a few years back.

Suicide had never seemed like the little grey guys' style to begin with, and to tell the truth O'Neill had never been able to fully comprehend them giving up like that, but their being here, now felt totally right to Jack's gut.

The galaxy had gone to pieces in recent years, but just seeing that hammerhead shape streak across the sky made him feel like a Colonel again, with Thor and the other Asgard looking out for the pathetic, yet plucky Humans.

Someway, somehow the galaxy had just squared itself away, and Jack couldn't help but crack a smile.

"This is Jack O'Neill trying to reach the Asgard. Can anyone hear me?"

Jack glanced around, expecting to find the bad guys closing in on him, when his line of sight fell on the melted piled of stones in front of the gate. He frowned as his mind finally processed enough of his surroundings to wonder why they were there. He walked over to the mess of rock and took a closer look…

There were mostly melted blobs of solidified goo, but a few edges remained. Jack knelt down and ran his finger over one of them.

"Son of a…" he said as an epiphany hit him amidst a burst of white light.

"…bitch," he finished inside an empty chamber onboard the Asgard ship, but no one was around to greet him. He stood up and looked around.

"Oh yeah," he said, noticing the familiar architecture. "They're back."

Jack turned around, noticing a large viewing window behind him. Apparently this was some version of an Asgard observation deck. He walked up to the wide window and whistled…

Below the countryside, full of trees and square fields, was being rearranged by Asgard beams, plucking out the Aschen architecture with ease. Jack wondered where exactly all the stuff was going.

Small footfalls echoed in the silence of the ship's interior as a tall Asgard walked around the corner of the doorway and into view just inside the high ceiling arch.

"Greetings," it offered, looking up at O'Neill from across the room.

"Hey…nice to see you guys back from the dead," Jack said like they were best buddies. "By the way, love the work you're doing outside. A+ for butt-whipping."

"It is regrettable, but necessary," the Asgard stated evenly.

"Yeah…what planet are we on anyway? It's one of yours, isn't it?"

"Einherja is one of the oldest Asgard-protected worlds in the galaxy, second only to Earth in population. We originally relocated many human civilizations here for their mutual protection, however, the treaty we signed with the Goa'uld prevented us from continuing this practice."

"Which is why Walter thought it'd be safe…" O'Neill half said to himself. "Anyway, I'm Jack O'Neill…"

"Yes, we have met before," the Asgard said.

Jack frowned. "Oh?"

"I am Freyr."

"Freyr, huh…" Jack said evenly, remembering their last conversation. "You've grown."

"You noticed," the Asgard said sarcastically.

"Kind of hard to miss," Jack countered.

"Indeed. I and the other Asgard transferred our consciousnesses into new clone bodies that the Ancients provided for us. Thanks to our recently returned allies, our degenerative condition has been cured and the Asgard civilization is once again on the rise."

"Great to hear," Jack said, clapping his hands together once. "I don't suppose Thor is around by any chance?"

"Commander Thor is currently preoccupied on the bridge…he sent me to deal with you until he is free from his duties."

"Deal with me?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow in protest.

"We are wondering why you were on the planet's surface?" Freyr asked, ignoring his complaint. "As far as we know, Earth has no ties to this world."

"If you're accusing us of working with the Aschen, you can forget it," Jack said, slashing the air in front of him with his hand for emphasis. "They attacked Earth not too long ago. I'm here on my own, as it were."

"For what purpose?" Freyr asked, blinking.

"Running away," Jack said candidly.

Freyr didn't say anything in response.

"You know, I'd love to fill you in on everything that's been going on, but it's a rather long story and I don't want to have to repeat myself twice when I meet Thor, so…"

"Our conversation is being recorded by the ship's computer," Freyr informed him. "Whatever you tell me, Thor will also know upon review of the ship's log."

"Of course," Jack said, slightly disappointed. "Alright…don't suppose we could sit down somewhere?"

Freyr raised his hand towards the right side of the room and two heavy throne-like chairs materialized facing each other parallel to the viewport.

"Nice," Jack said, plopping down into the nearest seat.

Freyr took a bit more time and gingerly settled his still fragile body into the opposite chair. "Has something transpired on Earth?"

"Oh yeah," Jack emphasized.

"Please elaborate."

"Well, for starters the stargate has been taken out of Cheyenne Mountain and moved back to Egypt."

Freyr's eyelids raised a fraction. "Who now has possession of the stargate?"

"The I.O.A. stole it from us," Jack said bluntly. "I tried to stop them and ended up having to go rogue. Either that or end up in a prison cell for the rest of my life."

"You have been labeled a renegade?" Freyr asked, a mixture of concern and irony in his nearly emotionless voice.

"Afraid so," Jack said, without any hint of levity.

"Please tell us what has transpired, with as much detail as you can recall, starting with the beginning of the trouble on Earth."

Jack blew out a long breath. "Well, to be honest it started a few years back when…"

* * *

"…then I find myself on this planet without knowing where the hell I was," Jack continued after nearly an hour of venting. "I'd planned on gating somewhere else right away, but decided to take a nap first. Then you guys show up and here we are."

"Your news is indeed troubling, but ultimately no longer our concern," Freyr commented.

"I'm not asking you guys to fix Earth," Jack told him resolutely. "I've washed my hands of the whole mess. The whole freaking planet can blow up for all I care."

"Forgive me," Freyr said acutely, "but I doubt your sincerity. You cannot have fought the number of battles you did to save your world on many occasions and not retain some emotional ties to it."

"No…" O'Neill disagreed, nodding his head in facetious certainty, "I'm pretty sure I couldn't give a rat's ass right about now."

"As you wish," Freyr relented. "What do you wish from us?"

"Well…" O'Neill said, uncertain. "For starters I was wondering how you guys were still alive. I was told you blew your own planet up…with you on it."

"Our deaths were merely a ruse," Freyr revealed. "We couldn't take the chance of our technology falling into the wrong hands if and when we did finally succumb to our previous condition. We decided to fake our deaths, with your people as witnesses, in order to deter future scavengers. If they believed all we had was destroyed, then there would be nothing left for them to look for. This tactic allowed us to slip away unnoticed, where we hid until the Ancients returned and offered us a cure."

"How devious of you," Jack offered, mildly impressed. "So, what's the beef between you and the Aschen?"

"During our brief absence the Aschen took possession of Einherja. We demanded that they relinquish control and leave the planet…they refused."

"Was that one of Thor's hammers near the gate?"

Freyr hesitated at O'Neill's description. "Yes."

"Why'd they trash it?" he asked.

"They destroyed all Asgard technology on the planet's surface," Freyr informed him.

"But it was just an anti-Goa'uld thing, right?"

"Two thirds of the planet's population was killed when they refused to accept Aschen control. It seems they tolerate no resistance to their rule. Visible reminders of the Asgard would presumably undermine their authority in the eyes of the remaining indigenous population."

Jack cringed. "Nasty little buggars."

"Indeed," Freyr agreed.

"I assume there are at least some Aschen on the planet?"

"Yes."

"What are you going to do with them?" Jack wondered.

"They will be released through the stargate when we have finished removing their infrastructure."

"Just like that?" O'Neill said, gesturing with open hands.

"Along with subdermal transponders," Freyr added, "that will allow us to track their movements, revealing their other worlds should the conflict escalate beyond this one battle."

"Ah…well that sounds more like it," Jack said. "For a moment there I thought you were going to let them off the hook."

"Hardly," Freyr said menacingly as the sound of foot strikes grew louder from the hallway outside…except these didn't sound like the soft padding of bare Asgard feet. They sounded like bootstrikes.

"Hey," Sheppard said loudly as he appeared in the open archway, "I hear someone needs a lift?"

* * *

Vala didn't know how long she'd been left alone in the interrogation room. It must have been a few hours at least, and she was getting quite tired of looking at the drab ceiling…she was also getting quite the draft as her skin was plush with goose bumps from the slight chill in the air. Her restraints held her firmly to the table, no matter how much she tried to wiggle free…and she'd had quite a while to try.

The metal door opened with a loud clank that resounded in Vala's ears amidst what had been complete silence.

"About time you got back," Vala toyed with him. "I was beginning to get lonely."

The distinctive snap click of a pistol chambering a round brought Vala's head up. The Goa'uld had a small sidearm in his left hand as he approached the table.

"I don't really see a reason for that…" she said desperately. "Your boys did a _very_ good job of tying me down."

When the Goa'uld was three meters away he raised his gun arm toward Vala's bound and naked body.

"No, no…" she argued quickly, "we're not done talking yet. I still have valuable secrets to give up, remember? Besides, don't you want to ride me at least once before…"

The first gunshot pierced Vala's heart with sound echoing throughout the room. Before the bang dissipated another shot was fired, hitting her sternum. A third and final shot split the distance between the first two, also impacting her heart.

The Goa'uld watched her convulse and fall silent, making sure his shots had hit the intended mark as she continued to bleed out onto the table.

"_What a waste_," he whispered to himself in Goa'uld, then turned around to address the guards that had stepped into the open doorway when they heard the shots.

"_Kill the others, then dispose of the bodies. They were never here, understood?_"

"_Yes, sir_," the pair said in tandem.

The Goa'uld waved them on ahead of him, then casually walked out of the chamber and down the corridor to deal with other business. He hoped Hera's impulsiveness wouldn't doom their efforts to eventual failure, and that the Queen did indeed know what she was doing…but he couldn't shake the feeling that she'd just made a grave miscalculation.


	4. Chapter 4

Teal'c paused on the inside door of the stairwell as he had numerous times before, waiting for any sound of nearby activity. When he found none the invisible Jaffa opened the hinge door onto level 19 and slipped into the long hallway that ran up the spine of each level.

According to the mental map he'd been compiling, the facility was nearly five times as long as it was wide. Teal'c had searched levels 27-20, finding Colonel Mitchell on 26, Colonel Carter on 24, and Major Hailey on 21. He'd yet to find Vala, and it looked like every level held a small number of detention cells along the central spine. If the pattern held, Vala should either be in the next few levels above, or back down on the levels below Mitchell.

Either way, Teal'c needed to keep searching for not only Vala but a secondary exit from the facility. The rings through which they'd entered level 27 were protected by the security system that had captured them in the first place. They'd need to either find another way out or find a way to disable the system in order to use the rings. Teal'c guessed that Carter could access one of the many computer terminals he'd come across during his reconnoiter, perhaps best in what he believed was some sort of control station that'd he'd found on level 25 under armed guard…but he couldn't spring Sam until he'd located Vala.

Teal'c headed down the central spine towards what he assumed would be additional holding cells when he smelled blood in the air. He followed the scent a few doors down the hallway until he came across an open door on the right where the stench blossomed and he saw Vala's bloody, naked body restrained on some sort of interrogation table.

"Vala Mal Doran," he said in a hushed voice as he rushed beside her.

She didn't answer, and as soon as Teal'c reached her he knew she was dead. He doubled checked by pressing an invisible hand against her neck…cold and no pulse. The pit of Teal'c's stomach clenched into a knot of hate and vengeance for a brief moment before another emotion surged to preeminence.

Fear.

If they'd killed Vala, then the others were also in danger. He had to get to them now…Hailey was the closest two levels down.

Teal'c rushed out of the room in a rage and ran back to the stairs, staff weapon held ready to kill anyone that got in his way.

* * *

Teal'c burst out of the stairwell door on Hailey's level, spotting three guards at the other end of the hall. He ran towards them and the Major's closer cell, catching the scent of blood once again, just as the men entered the elevator at the far end of the hall. Three doors down and Teal'c came to level 21's holding cells.

The door to the center of the three cells was open…and Jennifer Hailey lay dead on the floor in a pool of blood.

Teal'c wanted to check to make sure she was dead, though he had no real hope otherwise, but he couldn't waste the seconds it would take. He bolted back down the hallway to the stairs, his fury rising a notch more. If those guards were the ones that had killed both Vala and Hailey then they were most likely on their way down to Colonel Carter…and they had a head start on him.

* * *

Sam sat with her back against the cell wall, staring at the bare bars when she heard the noise of a door opening, quickly followed by footsteps. Two people at least, which meant it wasn't Teal'c.

She stood up, brushing her trousers off and steadied herself. Her captors hadn't revealed themselves since she'd woke up, hours ago, though she didn't know how long it'd actually been. They'd taken her wristwatch along with all the rest of her gear.

The Colonel stayed back from the bars and waited till the three guards appeared in front of the cell. One of them produced a key as Carter offered a sarcastic greeting.

"Hi, guys. Guess my bail came through, huh?"

The guards ignored her jest, not that they understood it. None of them spoke more than a few words of English. The one with the keys unlocked the cell and pulled the door out into the hallway as a second guard brandished his sidearm.

Sam thought he was just going to cover her as they transferred her somewhere else, but the man held his arm out straight, bracing against the recoil in a firing position that she immediately recognized.

"Wait, wait," she urged, hands up as she tried to sidestep away from his line of fire, putting the wall bars between her and the gun.

The guard took a step into the cell to clear his line of fire and Sam jumped back into the center of the cell as the gun went off.

The shot caught her in the left side, spinning her about with a yell. She landed on her back as the guard readjusted his aim just as his countryman in the hallway behind him exploded.

His body was knocked into the third guard, who managed to stay standing as the fresh corpse slipped to the floor against his leg. Two more orange blasts whipped down the hallway, missing wide and high.

A fourth shot hit the guard in the leg as he was fumbling for his sidearm. He went down onto his right knee and caught himself against the cell bars as the guard that shot Sam stepped into the hallway firing at…nothing.

A long range blast hit the guard square in the face, killing him instantly and tipping him back on top of the injured guard that was struggling to get a grip on the situation. His leg was scorched and screaming in pain, not allowing him to put any weight on it. He squirmed around for some leverage and managed to push his way free of his dead compatriots and raise his head up along with his left hand, grasped his weapon shakily.

He looked down the hallway but saw nothing.

With the pain throbbing in his leg, the guard almost missed the telltale sound of foot strikes approaching. He recognized them for what they were just before an orange blast appeared out of nowhere…

* * *

Teal'c fired three more shots, one for each body, to insure that the men were truly dead as he rushed into the cell.

"Colonel Carter," Teal'c said, deactivating his cloak and kneeling next to her.

"Good timing," Sam said through clenched teeth. "Could have been a few seconds earlier though."

"Vala Mal Doran and Jennifer Hailey are dead," Teal'c told her. "Can you walk?"

"What!" Carter cried, pinning her right hand against the flesh wound on the side of her chest.

"I have yet to reach Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c continued as he pulled a bandage out of a pocket on his vest. "He is on a lower level. We much reach him a soon as possible."

"Ow…" Sam yelled as she pulled her hand away and allowed him to inspect the wound. Blood flowed freely.

"The bullet passed through," Teal'c said, pressing the small bandage against the entry point…but it was too short to stretch to the exit point three inches away. Teal'c looped the long ties around her chest and tied them off. He pulled out a second bandage and secured the exit wound in the same fashion.

"Help me up," Sam demanded, grimacing in pain.

Teal'c grabbed her arm and strongly pulled her to her feet. She leaned heavily against his side, barely able to stand.

"The rings are guarded by a security system," Teal'c said as she gathered her strength. "But there are several computer terminals on each level, with a main control room one level down."

"To find another way out," Sam said, pushing off of Teal'c's chest. "If it's in Chinese I'll need Cam to help translate."

Teal'c reached down outside the cell and retrieved one of the dead guards' sidearms.

"Thanks," Sam said when he handed it to her. She pulled out the clip, finding it half empty.

Teal'c grabbed the other weapons, found one with a full clip and handed it to Carter as a base-wide alarm sounded.

"We must hurry," Teal'c urged, pulling Carter by the elbow. "The stairs are at the far end of the hall."

"Where's…Cam at?" she asked between heavy breaths.

"Two levels down," Teal'c said as one of the side doors ahead of them opened up and what looked like a scientist stepped out. Teal'c shot him dead as soon as he cleared the door.

"Check that room," Sam said as they got to the dead body.

Teal'c swung his staff weapon inside, but found it empty.

"Clear," he reported.

"Leave me here. Get Cam. Then come back."

"I cannot do that, Colonel Carter," Teal'c insisted as he shot another person emerging in the hallway behind them. Again, not a guard.

"I'll slow you down too much…go…the sooner you leave…the sooner you can come back."

Teal'c hesitated, then nodded his agreement with her logic.

Sam hobbled into the room and Teal'c shut the door behind her. She heard the telltale sound of his Sodan cloak activating as she locked the door from the inside. It wasn't more than a simple handle lock, and wouldn't stand up against a firm kick, but it was better than nothing.

Spying a rolling desk chair, Sam walked over and painfully sat down, her side contracting in the process. She blinked away fresh tears and saw that the scientist's laptop computer was still active.

Using her right hand only, she began to sift through the Chinese version of Windows.

* * *

Teal'c ran down the stairs with abandon and came out firing on Cam's level. He killed four people in the hallway, including one guard that emerged from the elevator on the opposite end. When the hallway was clear he approached the cell where he'd left Mitchell.

The Colonel was still there, standing up close to the bars.

"Stand back," Teal'c's voice sounded from nowhere.

"About time," Cam said, jumping back from the bars just before the lock exploded from a staff blast.

Teal'c decloaked and started to backtrack the way he'd come, with Mitchell falling in behind him. "Did you find the others?"

"Colonel Carter is two levels above us, wounded. The others are dead."

"Dead!" Cam yelled, then ducked down against the wall as Teal'c suddenly turned around and fired behind them. Two guards coming out of the elevator fell dead in a furry of staff blasts.

"Executed," Teal'c said, returning to a run back toward the stairs.

"Do you have another weapon?" Cam said, combat mode overriding his emotions.

"I do not," the Jaffa said as he pulled open the stairwell door. He darted inside and ran up the stairs three at a time. Cam had a hard time keeping up, only able to climb two at a time.

The Colonel heard more staff blasts as he climbed up the second flight toward Carter's level. Teal'c was already busy clearing out the hallway.

Cam slowed and peeked out the door to make sure it was clear. All he saw was Teal'c's backside as he ran in a hurry back to wherever Carter was. Cam stepped out and followed him.

"Colonel Carter!" Teal'c yelled through the locked door.

"Hold on," her muted voice came back. A few seconds later the lock clicked and she opened the door.

"Sam!" Mitchell yelled in concern after he hurried into the room, seeing the blood soaking her left side halfway down her pants.

Teal'c pulled off his equipment pack and handed it to Mitchell, then disappeared from view beneath his cloak. The door seemed to pull itself shut as he posted himself on guard duty outside.

"Damn it," Cam said, rifling through Teal'c's pack for the small med kit that should be there. "You're bleeding out."

"I…know," she said, sitting back down in the chair. "Vala…"

"Teal'c told me," Cam said, focusing his thoughts solely on Sam. "Pull that bandage off," he told her, pulling out a small bottle from the med kit.

"Some help here," she said, not able to untie Teal'c's knots.

Cam slipped a small knife out of the kit and cut the flimsy bandages free. He pointed the spray bottle at the entry wound and gave it two squirts.

"Ahhh!" Sam yelled as she felt her flesh scrunch up. The bleeding began to slow as a result.

"Sorry," Cam said, also spraying the exit wound with the bio-sealer…a product of offworld technology and Human ingenuity. He resprayed the wounds a minute later, cutting off the bleeding entirely.

"That won't hold," Sam warned.

"We have to find somewhere to go first," Cam said, catching her point as they heard a pair of muffled, distant staff blasts. Apparently Teal'c wasn't just standing outside the door.

"I've managed to pull up a schematic of the facility," Sam said, looking at the laptop.

"Where are we?" Cam asked, seeing the 3d map covered with Chinese symbols.

"Level 24…the rings we came through are three levels down," she said, grimacing. "Assuming they're still guarded with force shields and gas…"

"We can't go back that way," Cam finished for her, seeing how out of breath she was. "Can you disable them?"

"I can't read any of this. And even if I could, we don't have their security codes."

"Are these the rings?" Cam asked, pointing to their entry point.

"I don't know. Why?"

"I think this means 'exit,'" Cam said, pointing at a symbol. "And if it is…then there's another one here…and here."

"Probably all guarded," Sam pointed out.

"I don't see how we have a choice," Cam lightly argued.

Suddenly the door opened and Cam jerked around…to see a pistol tossed at him through the air.

"Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c's voice accompanied it.

"Thanks," Cam said, catching it two handed. The door closed again.

"What's this?" Carter asked, pointing at the screen.

"Make that four exits," Cam recounted.

"Are these all rings?"

Cam cringed. His knowledge of Chinese was limited. "Zoom in."

Carter toggled the map controls and enhanced one of the other points. It showed a long shaft rising to the surface.

"Not rings I take it," Cam noted.

"No," Carter said, checking the other exits. "They're all shafts to the surface."

"Question is…how far away from the gate are we?"

"Good question," Sam said, blinking. The blood loss was making her groggy.

"Wait a second," Cam stopped her. "Try this."

Sam adjusted the viewing angle of the map, rotating the structure around until a large room appeared near the surface.

"Hangar bay," Cam declared.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. And if they're true to form, they'll have rip-off Goa'uld cargo ships, maybe even some 302s."

"That's a long way up," Sam worried.

"We'll get you there," he promised her.

"How?"

"We'll loose our Jaffa," Cam said, jumping towards the door and pulling it open. "Teal'c!"

A few seconds later an invisible hand pushed Mitchell back inside the room. Once inside Teal'c decloaked. When he saw the Sam was still sitting upright and appeared to be no worse for wear he reconsidered the reason he'd been called.

"Have you discovered a means of escape?"

"Hangar bay," Cam said, pointing at the screen. "Think you can empty the halls for us?"

Teal'c grunted and reactivated his cloak. "Remain here until I return."

The door closed again and Mitchell walked over and locked it.

"Here," Sam said, having pulled up another map.

"Damn, that's a long way," he said, referring to the distance back to the gate.

"Too long on foot," Sam said, grimacing. "It's either the cargo bay or we take our chances with the rings. If we can't find a ship Teal'c will have to take out the personnel in the control room."

"So they can't activate the ring defenses."

"That's the only way," Sam reiterated. "But this place is huge. There's no telling how many soldiers they have."

"Teal'c can handle it," Cam reassured her. "He has the Sodan cloak…and ample motivation."

Sam dipped her head. "I can't believe they're dead."

"Hey," Cam said, tipping her chin back up. "We can go through that later. Shove it in the closet until we get out of here."

"You're right," Sam said, grimacing again.

"Try and sit still for now," Cam said, rummaging through Teal'c's med kit again, looking for a pain killer. He found four pills that looked like Tylenol. He hoped they were stronger than that.

"Take this," he said, putting the pill in her mouth. He grabbed Teal'c's canteen and took the lid off, then put it up against her lips. She sucked in a bit of water and swallowed.

"Hey," she said as he pulled the canteen back.

"Sorry," he said, giving her more water. Come to think of it he was a bit dehydrated too. Their captors hadn't given him any food or water, and the same was probably true for Carter.

Sam grabbed the canteen from him as she sucked down a few tentative gulps, cringing against each one. Cam took it back when she was finished and sucked down a few himself.

* * *

O'Neill got a quizzical look on his face. "Sheppard? Where the hell did you come from?"

"The Asgard called," he said, standing relaxed with his hands on his hips.

"Really?" Jack asked, glancing at Freyr.

"You have somewhere better to go than Atlantis?" Sheppard asked sarcastically.

Jack eyed him warily. "You know what happened on Earth?"

"Yeah, the Asgard gave us the quick version. You wanna go or not?"

"Thinking," O'Neill insisted, holding up a 'wait' finger. "How did you get here so quick anyway?"

"Short trip by stargate," Sheppard explained. "Then they beamed me up to the ship."

"Wait a second," O'Neill said, an obvious thought striking him. "How are we supposed to get back? Don't you need a ZPM to power the gate?"

Freyr looked up at O'Neill. "Our ship can provide the necessary power, so long as the Atlantis stargate will accept a connection from this planet."

"Thanks," Sheppard said dismissively, "but we've got it covered."

Freyr's head twisted to look at Sheppard. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"Yes, please do," O'Neill added, for once in his life in complete agreement with Freyr.

"Come on," Sheppard said sheepishly, "we built the stargates for crying out loud. You don't think we still have a few tricks up our sleeves."

"Indeed," Freyr said unsatisfied, but let it go.

"We?" O'Neill asked, thoroughly confused.

Sheppard smiled broadly. "Yeah, well a few things have changed since last we met. I'm a full-blooded Ancient now…or will be once my transformation finishes in a couple months."

"Excuse me…" O'Neill added.

"Long story, I'll explain on the way back," Sheppard said, stopping any further questions. "Are we finished here? There are a couple of Wraith cruisers sniffing around and I'd like to be there when we blow them out of the sky."

"Sure," O'Neill said slowly. "Why not." He turned to look down at Freyr. "Give Thor my best."

"Your best what?" the Asgard mocked deadpan.

O'Neill frowned. "You know what I mean." He looked up at Sheppard. "Ready when you are."

Sheppard glanced up slightly. "Thor?" he said into the air.

A moment later he and Jack were standing on the planet in front of the stargate.

"That was quick," he commented.

"The Asgard are like that," Sheppard told him as he walked over to the DHD.

"Yes…they are," O'Neill mused. "Mind filling me in on what the hell is going on?"

"You first," Sheppard said, dialing an address. "The President really wanted you to steal the stargate?"

"That he did."

"And you can't go back?"

"Not unless I want to sit inside a jail cell for the rest of my life," O'Neill said flatly.

"I know what you mean."

O'Neill took a second look at him. "I guess you would."

"Thanks, by the way," Sheppard said as he activated the stargate.

"For what?"

"Telling Ryan to take me with him."

"He told you that?"

"He might have mentioned it," Sheppard said as they stepped through the stargate.

"I guess you could say this makes us..." O'Neill said as he stepped into the event horizon.

"…even," he finished as they walked out into another forest encroached planet. "Maybe you've done some redecorating since the last time I visited, but this doesn't look very much like the gateroom I remember."

Sheppard shrugged. "Needed some privacy dialing. There are still a few secrets we keep from the Asgard, and this one is a biggie."

"The Ancients, you mean?"

"That's what I said," Sheppard reiterated as he dialed an eight chevron address.

"Yet you're showing me," O'Neill noted. "I'm touched."

Sheppard waved a hand dismissively. "You're membership in Club Ancient has already been preapproved."

"Really?" O'Neill asked, a bit more surprised.

"Ryan told me so," Sheppard said as he began inputting the gate jump access code. "Just so you know, we're jumping from one gate network to another. The color of the crystals on the stargate tells you which network you're on. We're going from red to yellow and it takes a special security code."

"I assume that's what you're doing now?" O'Neill asked, thoroughly intrigued.

"Uh huh," Sheppard said as his hands wizzed around the DHD, pressing more button combinations than O'Neill could keep up with.

"That's why Pegasus gates are blue?"

"Sort of," Sheppard allowed. "They're special."

"Of course they are," O'Neill said sarcastically as if he understood. "Each galaxy has its own color, I take it?"

"No," Sheppard said, finishing the code. All the symbols on the DHD lit up in response. "This is in the same galaxy."

"You're saying there are more gates in the Milky Way than we know about?" O'Neill said, now very interested.

"A lot more," Sheppard said, touching the activation button. The Kawoosh jutted out from the gate, then settled back into the normal event horizon. "You'll see in a moment."

"After you," O'Neill said theatrically, motioning Sheppard forward. He let him get a step ahead then blew out a long breath as he stepped into the glowing puddle.

He stepped out into a large facility of some sort, clearly Ancient in design, and saw Sheppard smile.

"Welcome to the hub of the stargate network."

O'Neill looked around and did a double take when he noticed the other four gates. He glanced back at the one they'd come through and saw that it did in fact have yellow chevrons. Turning his head back he noted the others gates had red, blue, green and orange chevrons, none of which were lit, but clearly visible in the facility's bright lights that seemed to emit from nowhere in particular.

"Very cool," O'Neill commented, not understanding a bit of it, but loving every moment.

"And to think, General. All this time you were searching for Ancient technology, you were looking through the wrong colored gates. The green and yellow networks have all the really cool toys."

The irony of Sheppard's statement didn't escape O'Neill. He glanced back at the newly minted Ancient. "Call me Jack."


	5. Chapter 5

The Chinese Goa'uld was coming out of the central elevator on level 6 enroute to the science labs when the base-wide alarm sounded. He did a double take, then pulled back his sleeve to reveal a wrist bound radio.

"_Report!_" he demanded.

"_We have an intruder in the base,_" the control room technician reported. "_At least three men down. According to surveillance footage, we believe the intruder is in the vicinity of level 24 and possesses some sort of cloaking device_."

"_How were the men killed…what weapon?_" the Goa'uld asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"_Some sort of energy weapon…we're now getting reports from level 26. More men down_."

"Teal'c," the Goa'uld muttered to himself. What had he been up to all this time?

"_Lock down all but the central elevator_," he ordered. "_Dispatch guards to the stairwells on levels 20 and 30, then have the ones moving through the elevator converge on the intruder_. _Drive them to the guards waiting on the stairwells._"

"_Sir, with a cloaking device the guards won't be able to spot the enemy_."

"_He's freeing the prisoners. They won't be cloaked. Tell the guards on the stairwells to deploy smoke grenades. They'll be able to detect movement on the stairs_."

"_What shall I tell the assault teams?_" the technician asked bluntly, aware of the difficulties of the situation.

"_Cloaked or not, he can still be hit. Tell them to fire rounds down every open hallway they come to. And make sure they're equipped with riot shields. If they take a hit, fire in the approximate location of the source._"

"_Yes, sir. The men are gearing up now_."

"_And lock down the rings_," he added before cutting the transmission. He backtracked down the hallway and inserted his personal ID into the elevator shaft call panel. It overrode any other requests for the car and brought it back up to him.

He slipped inside and keyed for level 56. The elevator doors closed and he began to descend through the levels of the facility, past the danger zone, and on down to his private hideout. Despite his confidence on the radio he knew that the guards would never be able to stop Teal'c. He was a former First Prime, skilled in combat and experienced in all manner of warfare. Coupled with a cloaking device and an energy weapon, the Chinese didn't stand a chance.

But at least they could slow him down, and hopefully contain them long enough for him to trigger the base's self destruct…

* * *

Sam pulled back from the laptop and leaned forward slowly.

"I don't feel so good," she muttered, squinting against the pain.

"Hold on a little longer," Cam urged her. "Teal'c should be back any minute now."

"You said that…ten minutes ago," she mildly argued. "Do it now."

"Sam…there's only one. If this takes too long…"

"Cam…please," she said, nearly falling out of her chair.

Mitchell caught her shoulder and pushed her back up. "Alright," he said, retrieving the adrenaline needle from the medpack. He'd hoped to wait until Teal'c got back, but Sam was fading too fast. He briefly checked her bandaged side...it was still clean. The spray must still be holding her flesh together, but she'd lost an awful lot of blood already.

"Colonel Mitchell!" Teal'c's voice yelled from outside.

"Finally," Cam said, jumping up to unlock the door. He pulled it aside in a hurry. "What the hell took so long?"

"The enemy had a large number of guards," he said, walking past Cam and kneeling down next to Sam. "They attempted an ambush on the stairs. Colonel Carter, are you still conscious."

"Barely," Sam said, meekly raising her head.

"The path is clear. I have a cargo ship standing by, and one of the elevators appears to be operational."

"Thank God," Sam said gratefully, but didn't move.

"What happened to the guards?" Cam asked, fingering the needle and finding a good place to inject Sam in the arm.

"They are dead."

"You made it all the way to the cargo bay?" Mitchell asked, impressed.

"Indeed. I attempted to access the rings, but they appear to have been deactivated."

"What about the…ahhhh!" Sam yelled as Cam injected her with the small dose of adrenaline.

"Sorry," he apologized, helping her to her feet.

"…the bay doors?" Sam finished.

"Open," Teal'c said.

"Alright," Cam told Sam, "now the hard part."

"Right," Sam said warily, sounding more awake.

She gave Cam her right hand, and he grabbed her wrist with his left. He ducked his head down across her stomach and wrapped his right arm around her legs.

"Here we go," he said, lifting her up in a fireman's carry.

The pain in her side exploded, but not as bad as she'd thought it would be. Most of the pressure was on the opposite side of her chest…still, the movement was breaking open her wound.

"Let's move," Cam insisted. Teal'c didn't hesitate and lead the way outside.

* * *

The trio stopped outside the doors that led into the hangar. Sam still hung across Mitchell's shoulders and was bleeding down the back of Cam's shirt. It felt to him like he'd been splattered with a water balloon. He didn't figure she had much time left.

Teal'c cloaked and moved inside the hangar.

"Clear," his voice came back confidently.

"Not far, Sam," Mitchell said, trying to encourage her. Teal'c reappeared ahead of them and led the way up to one of five replica Goa'uld cargo ships with the cockpit door already open. The Jaffa took up guard beside the opening, checking first the inside, then the path behind them. When the others arrived he ducked in in front of them and ran to the pilot's seat.

"Hurry," Mitchell insisted as he lowered Sam to the floor as gently as he could. He sat down behind her, holding her torso up.

"Sam…Sam?" he said, looking into her face. She'd already slipped into unconsciousness. He checked her pulse…weak, but still there.

Teal'c wasted no time once he slipped into the pilot's seat. He remotely closed the outer door and powered up the lift coils in one fluid motion of his hands over the control panel. He moved his hands up onto the spherical steering control and lifted the ship up off the deck and spun it around to face the exit. He punched the engines and jetted them out of the Chinese facility into the atmosphere above the densely forested planet. He scanned for the stargate and realigned their heading. They'd be there in just under two minutes.

* * *

When the Goa'uld arrived back inside his hidden chamber he brought up the surveillance footage and checked on the progress of the guards while he thought through all the ramifications of Teal'c's presence.

Hera would be most displeased if he allowed them to escape, and she'd be only slightly less upset with the destruction of the facility…but at this point he had no choice. It was the only way to keep them from escaping, and based on the number of dead bodies he was seeing on the security cameras, he didn't have much time to enact his plan.

He brought up the program for the self destruct and input a five minute timer…but he hesitated before activating it.

This situation hadn't been his fault. He'd followed procedure and carried out Hera's orders. Teal'c's presence was an unknown factor…but as he thought about it, he realized Hera wouldn't see it that way. From her point of view he'd screwed up, and she'd deal with him one way or another…which meant he had precious few days left ahead of him, whether that meant his death or his reassignment to pointless, punitive assignments…either of which was unacceptable.

In his opinion Hera was jeopardizing the Earth operation with her lack of caution regarding the offworld relations with the Tau'ri's former allies…perhaps it was better if he cut ties now, rather than get dragged into what could become a very messy situation.

He checked a series of additional security cameras as he formulated his new plan. He smirked at the cruel irony of the situation. The Goa'uld had reluctantly concluded that they had to work together in order to survive. Hera herself had underscored this point a year after the Jaffa Rebellion had seen the destruction of the more prominent System Lords…and yet it seemed she couldn't break with the old habits. She'd want his head for this loss, instead of analyzing the situation for what it was and determining that there was no fault on anyone's part, just bad luck.

Everything Hera did was ego-based…and when there was a failure, she had to blame someone. Her plans were so perfect, in her mind, that only someone else could cause them to fail. She didn't realize that the universe didn't play favorites, and no matter how much effort you put into it, there was always the possibility of unknown variables worming their way into the best laid plans.

Fortunately, he'd already learned his new humility, as well as when to walk away from a situation…even if it meant going with a bruised ego.

And walk away he must…completely. Hera wouldn't let something like this pass, nor could he simply 'quit' the operation. That would be even more of an affront to the old queen. No, he was going to have to disappear…which meant that the self destruct was going to come in handy after all.

He left the program on standby and headed back to the elevator. There was one item he needed to retrieve before the big bang…and if Teal'c managed to escape with the others, oh well. It would just annoy Hera that much more. Besides, they needed SG-1 whether they wanted to admit it or not. He'd consider this to be his last team contribution before he turned tail and ran as fast and as far as he could.

* * *

"We have arrived at the stargate," Teal'c said as a small clearing appeared with the great ring perched inside. There wasn't enough room to land the ship and avoid the kawoosh, so Teal'c swung the ship around parallel to the width of the gate and crunched his way down through the treetops until he hit bottom with the cockpit door facing the gate.

The vibration of the landing shook Sam in Mitchell's arms and he heard a faint sigh of breath leave her lungs.

"Sam?" he said, checking for a pulse. He found none.

"Teal'c!" he yelled, laying her down and starting CPR. "Dial the gate!" he said after giving her two quick breaths and starting chest compressions.

Teal'c caught his meaning instantly, but his feet froze in place. He saw the pale look on Carter's face and recognized it as the sign of severe blood loss. No amount of resuscitation on the Colonel's part would revive her…nor could anyone in the SGC.

"No…" Teal'c growled to himself. He walked over to Mitchell and pushed him off Carter and into the wall.

"What the…?" Cam exploded in frustration as he saw Teal'c rip Carter's body off the ground and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. "Hey!" he said, scrambling to his feet.

Even carrying Carter, Teal'c moved faster than Mitchell could and ran over to the DHD, inputting an address as fast as he could. Cam caught up with him just in time to realize he'd forgotten the GDO back in the ship. The stargate activated, temporarily blocking his path back to the door, when Teal'c none too gently nudged him out of the way and ran into the event horizon just as the unstable vortex dissipated.

"Teal'c!" Cam yelled. Without sending the GDO code first, Teal'c had just killed both of them…

But Teal'c wasn't that stupid. Mitchell knew that. He looked at the DHD and noted with relief that it wasn't showing Earth's address just as a huge explosion rattled the jungle.

"What the hell?" he said, running onto the far side of the clearing to get a better look.

He was knocked onto his face by a blast of wind that rocked the trees, then dissipated as quickly as it began. Mitchell got up and looked back the way the wind had come.

He didn't see anything at first, then saw a small plume of smoke rising in the distance. After a few seconds it began to take on the traditional mushroom shape.

"What the hell?" he complained, running after Teal'c to wherever he'd gone with Sam.

* * *

Cam came out of the event horizon just in time to see Teal'c and a quartet of Jaffa break into a run down the dirt path ahead of them. Mitchell slide to a stop, noticing another six Jaffa still standing guard over the stargate. Off in the distance was the Ancient-designed city of Dakara.

"Genius," Cam declared, feeling his heart swell with hope for Carter, as he took off in a dead sprint to follow the others.

* * *

"Welcome to Atlantis, General," Weir said from the balcony over the gateroom as Sheppard and O'Neill walked out of the stargate.

Jack did a double take and looked at Sheppard. "Is she still a replicator?"

"Lantean now," he said deadpan. "Almost as bad."

O'Neill frowned as Weir's voice yelled back. "I heard that."

"What's the status on the cruisers?" Sheppard asked.

"They just dropped out of hyperspace," she reported as the two men walked up the stairs to the control platform.

"What are they doing?" Sheppard asked.

"Keeping their distance, for the most part. Well out of weapons' range."

"Are they now," Sheppard said, taking a look for himself at the city's sensors. "Scan for lifeforms," he told the Asgard sitting at the terminal.

"What type of lifeforms are we looking for?" the diminutive alien asked.

"Human," Sheppard said, noticing a dozen or so blips light up in each cruiser. All Wraith.

"Increase the sensitivity," he ordered. "If they're cocooned there won't be much to detect."

The Asgard toggled the controls, but the same number of blips remained.

"None," it reported.

"Alright," Sheppard said, letting it go. "We leave them be for now."

"And if they come within weapons' range?" Elizabeth asked.

"Need you ask," Sheppard replied.

"Just checking," she said, extending her hand to O'Neill. "Good to see you again, despite the circumstances."

O'Neill shook her hand. "Thank you, Dr.," he said, looking warily at his hand.

Weir smiled. "No nanites to worry about," she assured him. "Just a few cooties."

"Sorry," he said, wiping his hand on his pant leg. "Last I heard you were floating in space."

"They picked me up," Elizabeth said, inclining her head towards Sheppard, "gave me a new body. You know the drill, I'm sure."

"Right," O'Neill said, sensing her sarcasm. "Seems I'm in for the same, Ancientization and all."

"That'll have to wait a bit," Sheppard interjected. "Ryan's busy with the Ori and won't be back for a few more days."

"Ori?" Jack said with mild alarm.

"Yeah, there's a lot to fill you in on," Sheppard said. "Might want a change of clothes first."

Jack glanced down at his field gear and P-90 still clipped to his vest. "I might…yes."

"This way," Sheppard said, leading him back down the stairs and into the city.

"Don't suppose we could stop for a bite to eat on the way," Weir heard O'Neill say as they disappeared from view.

"Sure," Sheppard said as their voices began to fade out. "The Ancient food cubes are actually pretty good."

* * *

"It was good that you came here, Teal'c" Bra'tac said as he attended to Carter in one of the Jaffa's medical wings. "The Tau'ri could not have revived her."

"Is she going to be alright?" Cam interrupted. Carter floated before them naked, encased in some sort of healing tube, glowing with energy and surrounded by a forcefield. Beside them on the floor lay her bloody clothing.

"With time," Bra'tac cautioned. "Her body was weak before she was injured. Was she a Jaffa, the equipment could heal her more rapidly. As it is she will require several days of treatment."

"Why the delay?" Teal'c asked, almost arguing. "I've seen a sarcophagus heal Humans in a matter of hours who were far more injured."

Bra'tac nodded. "True, the sarcophagus can heal physical injuries with ease, as can this device, but the mind is much more delicate. Your friend lost so much blood that her brain suffered considerable damage before her heart stopped beating. Had her brain functions stopped at the same time, the damage would have been less severe and easier to restore."

Cam turned his head away from Sam and looked at Bra'tac. "Like running a racecar on a broken engine. If you stop immediately you've got a small repair. Keep running it and the bits and pieces flopping around will eventually cause the whole thing to frag."

"If I take your meaning correctly, yes," Bra'tac said, having to pull a bit of telepathic explanation from his mind before responding. "The repairs being made to her mind are delicate. A sarcophagus would repair the damage more quickly, but the memories would be lost when new tissue is grown to replace that which was damaged. Here, we are repairing the existing tissue in order to keep the memories intact."

"But it'll work?" Cam asked.

Bra'tac nodded. "I believe so. Had you been delayed another hour, I believe the damage would have been too great."

"Why did we have to take her clothes off again?" the Colonel asked.

"They were soaked with blood," Teal'c said, choosing to respond in place of Bra'tac. "You believe we should have left them on her for modesty's sake?"

"Don't get me wrong," Cam clarified, "I'm enjoying the view, but I don't think she'll be thrilled to wake up with us looking at her naked.

Teal'c frowned/growled at the Colonel. "Then the alternative is simple. Do not look at her until she is dressed again."

Cam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks, that helps a lot."

"We will provide her with fresh clothing when she wakes," Bra'tac said, interjecting his calming voice. "And while it is not necessary to remove the clothing before entry, it provides less distraction for the mechanism as it scans and repairs her body."

"Ok," Cam said, holding up his hands in surrender. "As long as there's a reason."

"Perhaps you would prefer to rest while you wait," Bra'tac offered. "I can assign you quarters three levels below for as long as you require."

"Thank you," Cam said, "but right now I'm staying here. Maybe in a few hours."

The System Lord nodded. "As you wish," he said, locking eyes with Teal'c.

The Jaffa returned his stare…but eventually the hardness left it. Bra'tac's visage may have been missing the age lines and scars, but the youthful face that stared back at him still had the same eyes…the eyes of the man who had taught him everything about being a Jaffa. The man who had exposed the false gods to him, risking his own life in the process. He was the same Jaffa that had saved his life on many occasions, and who, in turn, Teal'c had done the same for.

Young as he had become, it was still the same old man that he'd grown up implicitly trusting.

"If you will," Bra'tac finally spoke. "I would like to finish our prior conversation."

"As would I," Teal'c agreed.

Bra'tac motioned gestured forward with his hand and the two old friends walked off together, away from Mitchell and the other Jaffa, where they would eventually come to terms over Bra'tac's direction for the Jaffa Nation.

As it had been in many past arguments between the two, the old man's wisdom shown through in the end, hastened no doubt, by the deaths of Jennifer Hailey and Vala Mal Doran. They had been killed by part of the Tauri democracy, which Teal'c knew would result in no serious reprisals for their deaths. The incident would be swept away in favor of stability and the fear of war, and they would continue to do so into the future, no matter how many injustices they had to stomach. Such was the way of democracy…

Teal'c found himself glad to be back in a land that valued honor and accountability, where one shot the enemy on sight...rather than trading verbal barbs across a conference table.

Such it was, Bra'tac and Teal'c reunited, becoming Master and Apprentice once again. Bra'tac the System Lord and Teal'c as his First Prime, starting his long path towards one day earning the privilege of joining the Alterra and taking his place beside Bra'tac as another of the Jaffa System Lords.

* * *

Just prior to the detonation of the nuclear device that destroyed the Chinese facility, a cloaked cargo ship took off from the planet's surface out of a small, camouflaged landing bay three miles away at the other end of a dedicated rings link from the Goa'uld's secret lair. The ship rose up out of the atmosphere as the mushroom cloud expanded and briefly decloaked just before jumping into hyperspace.

Three hours later, while still in hyperspace en route to a backwater part of the galaxy too worthless for all but the most pathetic Goa'ulds to have ever bothered conquering, the Chinese man suddenly woke up from his long nightmare in the cargo bay, staggering backward as his throat burned with pain and he tasted blood on his lips…but they were his lips once again, and his hands, and his feet.

He looked down at the floor as he staggered, trying to remember how to walk, when he heard the scrap of metal on metal. He looked up and saw a long, gold box that he recognized as a sarcophagus and a very attractive woman, sitting topless inside, running her ornamented hand over the edge before raising her glowing palm towards him.

"_It's been a pleasure_," she said in a distorted voice, just before knocking the man back against the wall by an invisible force. She heard his bones crack obligingly, and stretched the arms of her new body high above her head.

"I so prefer females," she said, standing up and stepping out of the sarcophagus. She walked over to the crumpled man and finished him off with a second invisible wave that crushed his body against the floor.

The naked woman walked over to one of the cargo canisters and opened it, appropriating some new clothes. Fortunately she'd kept samples of both male and female clothing around.

The Goa'uld pulled a slinky, gold tunic onto her new body, finding it fit reasonably well when one of her host's memories moved into the foreground.

"Ah…Qetesh," she said, pausing for a moment. "Didn't know her, but she had an impeccably good taste in hosts…even if this one did get a little soft in recent years, but that's easy enough to fix…though this hair has got to go," she said, looking at Vala's image in a hand mirror that had accompanied the clothes.

"Yes, I think blonde will suit us nicely…"


End file.
